Radiator valve



`lune 6, 1933.

Filed July a, .1932

lil

`Patented .lune 6, 1933 N UNITED STATES PATENT euries CHRISTOPHER G. 'IB'.BC'DEAU, 0F ARLNGTON, MASSACHUSETTS., ASSIGrNOR4 TO FRANK W, ZFNN', OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS i RADIATOR VALVE Application filed July 8, 1932. Serial No. 621,409.

This invention relates to aradiator vvalve structure controlled by a thermostat within the casing element of the structure to provide avent for the escape of air froma radiator, and permit the closing of the vent to prevent the escape of hot fluid, such as steam or vapor following the air. y y

The chief object of the invention is to provide a simple, durable, and efficient valve structure, adapted to be automatically conditioned to cause a slower venting of air byl a heating medium under relatively low pressure, than by a medium under higher. pressure, for apurpose hereinafter appearing.

The term lluid used herein is intended to mean either air, steam, vapor, or water.

. Of the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification,-

Figure l is a sectional view of a valve structure embodying the invention.

`Figures 2, 3 and 4 are views similar to Figure l showing different conditions.

Figure 5 is a sectionon line 5-5 of Figure 1. y

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the automatic valve. y

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the baille plate.

Figure 8 is a side view of the wafer valve.

Figure 9 is a side view, and Figure 10 an edge view of the thermostat.

Figure 11 is a side view of the wafer valve flexing member. y

The same reference characters indicate the same'parts in all of the `figures.

The casing of the valve structure includes a base section 30, a head sectionl and an intermediate section 32, said sections being separately connected at 33.V The base section has aninlet adapted to communicate with a heatingv system, said inlet, called the primaryinlet, including the bore of a nipple 34.

In the centre of the head section 31 is an inner duct portion 35 with which is associated an automatic valve 36, and other duct portions controlled thereby as hereinafter described.

The casing is subdivided by av` partition 44 into an upper chamber 45 and a lower chamber 46. A duct 47 formed in the center of the partition constitutes an inlet for the upper chamber and an outlet for the lower chamber, said duct being called the secondary inlet.

The lower chamber 46 is adapted to receive water of condensation that may pass through the primary inlet, and is provided with means for preventing such water from entering the upper chamber 45 and escaping from the outlet thereof, said means including a float 48 adapted to be raised by water entering the lower chamber, a valve 49 having a stem 50 fixed to the lxioat, and a seat 51 for said valve in the secondary inlet 47.

`Water entering the lower chamber raises the float beforeit can rise to the upper chamber 45, and thereby closes the valve 49 on its seat.

The secondary inlet 47 extends through a guide 52 on the partition 44, thevalve stem being movable in said guide.

In the lower portion of the chamber 46 is fixed a baille plate 53 supporting the float when the valve 49 is opened.

The float 48, when in its lowest position, may bear directly on the fixed baille plate 53. l prefer, however, to interpose a supplemental thermostat, designated as a whole by 4l, between the float and the baille plate, said thermostat being constructed like the thermostat40, above described, and inverted so that its mid length portion 66 bears on the bottom of the float 48, and its arms 6l bear on the baffle plate. The lower end of the float is guided by a spindle 54 fixed to the bottom of the float and movable in central holes in the baille plate and in the thermostat 4l. Said plate is formed to permit fluid to flow across its margin to the chamber 46and is preferably substantially square as shown by Figure 7, its corners being in close binding Contact with the wall of the lower chamber.

55 designates a thin, flexible, resilient Ametallic wafer valve constituting both an inlet valve and a sealing member adapted to maintain vacuum in the heating system as hereinafter explained. Said wafer valve bears loosely at its marginal portion on an annular valve seat 56 formed on the upper surface of the partition 44, and is adapted to be forced upward and opened by fluid passing through the secondary inlet 47, and thereby permit the discharge of air from the heating system.

A flexing member 57 supporting the thermostat hereinafter described, rests loosely on' the Wafer 55, and is vertically movable in the casing. The margin of the member 57 is substantially square, as shown by Figure 11, and has corners slidable on the Wall of the chamber 45, and straight edges between `the corners permitting fluid to flow upward across the margin of the flexing member. Said member has a convex bottom face 58 bearing on the center of the Wafer 55, and adapted to flex the )Wafer from the fiat form shown by Figure 2 tothe concave-convex form shown by Figures 3 and 4.

rlhe partition 44 has a central depression 59 on its upper side into which the Wafer is flexed When the above mentioned thermostat is expanded. Said thermostat, shown separately by Figures 9 and 10, and designated as a Whole by 40, is preferably a laminated strip composed of different metals such as brass and steel, the strip being preferably coated with tin. The strip is bent to form a helix having a flat side composed of the mid length portion 60 of the strip, and flat sided arms composed of the end portions 61 of the strip. The mid length portion 60 bears on the upper side of the flexing member 57. The thermostat is provided with an orifice 63 (Figure 9) receiving a stud 64 on the flexing member 55, so that horizontal displacement of the thermostat is prevented.

When the thermostat is not expanded by heat the end portions or arms 61 are in the same plane and bear on a fixed abut-ment formed by the head section 31 of the casing, as shovvn by Figures 1 and 2, the Wafer valve 55 being flat and free to be raised from the seat 56. lVhen the thermostat is expanded the arms 61 are oppositely inclined, the thermostat forces the flexing member 57 downward, and said member forces the central portion of the Wafer valve 55 into the depression 59, so that it is held closely against the seat 56, and constitutes a valve closing the secondary inlet 47, as shown by Figures 3 and 4.

The ar 1angement is such that heated fiuid admitted through the secondary inlet 47, the thermostat being contracted, raises and passes by the Wafer valve 55, and then expands the thermostat, thereby causing the flexing member 57 to press the Wafer against its seat and close the secondary inlet 47.

The time required to expand the thermostat and close the secondary inlet 47 is sufficient to permit the expulsion of all air through the vent formed in part by the inner duct portions 35, before the secondary inlet is closed.

Vacuum caused in the heating system after the above described operation confines the Wafer valve 55 on its seat until heat is again admitted at the primary inlet 34. The Wafer valve is preferably more flexible at its margin than at its cent-ral portion. The increased flexibility may be provided by notches in the periphery of the wafer as shown by Figure 8, said notches permitting fluid to flow across the periphery of tle Wafer.

The partition may be provided with an annular groove 62 surrounding the valve seat 59, said groove and the bottom of the depression 59 meeting, so that the valve is an annular ridge facilitating the formation of a fluid-tight joint When the Wafer 55 is pressed against the seat.

My application for Letters Patent of the United States filed September 28, 1931, Serial No. 565,419 noW Pat. No. 1,870,300, discloses a valve structure similar in many respects to that above described.

The present invention is distinguished from that disclosed by said application rst by the fact that the thermostat 40 is seated on a fixed abutment at the top of the upper chamber, and does not act directly on a valve constituting an element of a vent through Which air escapes from the casing, and secondly by the automatically variable air vent next described, saidl vent including the automatic valve 36.

rllhe casing head section 31 is provided With a variable air vent associated with the upper chamber 45. Said vent includes the above mentioned inner duct portion 35 and automatic valve 36, and a` plurality of discharging duet portions 0 and 72. The organization of the automatically variable vent is such that the automatic valve 36, constituting an element thereof, is displaceable to a limited extent by air under relatively low pressure to permit a relatively rapid venting through all of said discharging duct portions, and is displaceable to a greater extent by air under higher pressure to restrict the number of discharging duct portions and cause a slower venting.

The duct portions 35 and 70 are of maximum capacity, and between them is formed a duct enlargement 69. The duet portion 72 is of smaller, or minimum capacity, and extends laterally from the enlargement 69. The automatic valve36 is movable vertically in the enlargement 69, and is normally caused, preferably yby gravity (the valve being Weighted), to bear loosely on the bottom of the enlargement 69. rlfhe upper end of the valve 36 is formed to close the outer discharging duct portion 70, as shown by Figure 2, When the valve is fully raised, said upper end being preferably provided vWith an annular valve face 73. The valve is provided with external faces 74 tween its ends cooperating with the Wall of the duct enlargement 69 to form air passages 75 (Figure 5), in said enlargement. y

It will be seen that when the valve 66 is partly and not fully raised, `it permits simultaneous venting through the discharging portions 70 and 72, and when fully raised permits venting only through the smaller discharging portion 72.

Figure l shows the valve structure as conditioned when the structure is inactive, the automatic valve 36 resting loosely on the i lower end of the duct enlargement 69.

y ture as conditioned when the secondary inlet valve 49 has dropped and opened the secondary inlet 47, thereby permitting vacuum in the system to hold the wafer valve 55 in sealing contact with its seat to maintain said vacuum.

When the heating medium is steam at the lowest pressure and the valve structure is conditioned as shown by Figure l, air forced through the valve structure by the pressure of steam behind it flows through the inner duct portion 35, and partly but not wholly, lifts the automatic valve 36, andescapes freely through the outer discharging duct portion 70, and to a limited extent through the smaller duct portion 72, untii steam reaches and expands the thermostat 40 and causes the latter to press the wafer valve 55 against its seat and condition the structure so that when the secondary inlet valve 49 is opened, vact num is maintained in the system and holds the wafer valve in sealing contact with its seat until heat'again enters the lower chamber 46. Y

i The secondary inlet valve 49 is closed only when the float 48 is raised, either by an accumulation of water in the lower chamber 46, or by the expansion of the lower thermostat 4l by steam entering said chamber, the float being thus caused to close the valve 49.

When the heating medium is steam under a higher pressure, airV forced through the valve structure by the pressure of steam behind it, entirely lifts the automatic valve 36 and causes its annular face 7 3 to close on the seat formed by the top of the duct enlargement 69 and close the outer discharging duct portion 70, as shown by Figure 2, so that the air escapes slowly through the smaller discharging duct portion 72, and retards the entrance of steam into the upper chamber 45,

If` air forced by high pressure steam were permitted to escape from the valve structure without the above described retardation, steam would enter the upper chamber 45 prematurely, and cause the seating of the automatic valve 36 shown by Figure 2 before the accompanying radiator is sufiiciently heated.

The automatic valve36 when closed as shown by Figure 2, the valve 59 being open, prevents air from rushing through the lower chamber 46 with sufficient force to raise the float 48 and prematurely close thesecondary inletvalve 49, before all, or the major portion'of the air is vented. The automatic valve 36 therefore controls the valve 48 to the extent last stated. Y

l. A radiator valve structure which includes a casing having a partition, a lower chamberl communicating through a primary inlctwith a `heating system, and an upper chamber communicating through a secondary inlet in said partition with the lower chamber, an upwardly opening wafer valve bearing loosely on an annular seat on said partition, and adapted to be raised by fluid pressure admitted through the secondary inlet, heat responsive means interposed between the wafer valve and a iixed abutment in the upper chamber and normally conditioned so that the wafer valve is free to be opened by incoming fluid, said means including a thermostat seated on said abutment, and expansible by heat to coniine the wafer valveon its seat, the structure including also an upwardly closing valve in the secondary inlet, and means in the lower chamber operable by fluid therein to close and permit the opening of said valve, said structure being characterized by said liXed abutment, and by an automatically variable air vent for the escape of air from the upper chamber, said vent including a plurality of discharging duct portions, and an automatic valve controlling said portions, said valve being displaceable to a limited eX- tent by air under relatively low pressure to permit -a relatively rapid venting, andto a greater extent by air under higher pressure to reduce the number of discharging portions and cause a slower venting, the automatic valve preventing premature closing of the secondary inlet valve.

2. A radiator valve structure which includes a casing having a partition, a lower chamber communicating through a primary inlet with a heating system, and an upper chamber communicating through a secondary inlet in said partition with the lower chamber, an upwardly opening wafer valve bearing loosely on an annular seat on said partition, and adapted to be raised by fluid pressure admitted through the secondary inlet, heat responsive means interposed between the 'Wafer valve and a fixed abutment in thev upper chamber and normally conditioned so that the Wafer valve is free to be opened by incoming fluid, said means including a thermostat seated on said abutment and expansible by heat to conne the Wafer valve on its seat, the structure including` also an upwardly closing valve in the secondary inlet, and means in the lower chamber operable by Huid therein to close and open said valve, said structure being characterized by said liXed abutment, and by an automatically variable air vent for the escape of air `from the upper chamber, said vent including an inner duct portion communicating With the upper chamber, an outer discharging duct portion, each of said portions having a maximum conducting capacity, a duct enlargement between said portions, a lateral discharging duct portion of minimum conducting capacity communieating With said enlargement, and an automatic valve movable in said enlargement by air pressure, being displaceable to a limited extent by air under relatively low pressure to permit a relatively rapid venting through each of said discharging portions, and to a greater extent by air under higher pressure to close the larger discharging portion, and thereby cause a slower venting through the lateral discharging portion, the automatic valve preventing premature closing of the secondary inlet valve.

3. A valve structure as speciiied by claim 2, said automatic valve being Weighted and free to move vertically in said duct enlargement, and formed at one end to close the outer discharging duct portion, said valve having eX- ternal faces cooperating with the Wall of said enlargement to form air passages therein.

4. A radiator valve structure as speciiedL by claim l, characterized by a supplemental thermostat in the lower chamber, constituting an element of means for closing and permitting the opening ot the secondary inlet valve.

In testimony whereof I have atxed my signature.

CHRISTOPHER G. THIBODEAU. 

